Waking up the next morning I let out a cry of pain, my whole body was throbbing, it felt like I was on fire.
"Hikaru" Zenitsu yelled out in shock while Inosuke also let out a grunt.
"Hikaru, what's wrong?" Tanjiro asked, scrambling out of his bed over to my side.
"Hurts, hurts. Painkiller" I said and instantly he scrambled into my box and grabbed out a pain killing elixir and pressed it to my lips. After gulping that down I laid there for a few more minutes before attempting to even sit up. When I did sit up something caught my attention out of the corner of my eyes and I noticed that there was a vase of sunflowers along with a bag of what looked to be cookies sitting on the bedside table. Not just any cookies but cookies in the shape of stars that I remember very fondly.
"So he does remember after all" I whispered to myself before mentally preparing myself for the day.
A few days later
"NO!" I heard screaming and I looked over to see the girl from yesterday, Aoi, instructing Zenitsu to take his medicine.
"I can't possibly take any more!" He yelled.
"We go through this every single day! Other than Akatsuki-san you are the most severely injured Zenitsu-san. Take your medicine this second," Aoi ordered.
"Good grief" Aoi sighed, walking over to give Tanjiro his medicine with one of the little girls I had seen yesterday.
"Tanjiro, that will be your medicine unless of course you are going to be getting medicine from your friend," Aoi said.
"No, he will take your medicine," I said. There were still some things I was working out in my elixirs and I wasn't sure what would happen if someone took in too much of my blood. I wasn't keen to make Tanjiro into a test subject so he would have to deal with the normal medicine for a while.
"Tanjiro's medicine goes down that easily huh? Is that right? I see it's different from mine! I call it favoritism! I call it favoritism!" Zenitsu yelled.
"Zenitsu please be quiet, this is a hospital" I said with a closed eyed smile that made him freeze, no noise coming from him.
"Of course Tanjiro's medicine is different from yours because he is taking it for different injuries" I continued.
"You seem to be well" a voice said making us turn and Murata was standing there making me smile.
"Murata" Tanjiro beamed happily.
"Hey" He greeted.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry for leaving you alone like I did" I said.
"Well, I came close to getting melted away but I made it somehow but I'm kind of glad I didn't go with you Hikaru-san, I heard you guys got really banged up" Murata commented.
"It looks like it's going to take some time," Tanjiro reported and I glanced down at my wrapped hands. I would have to find something that I could use as a sword and get back to practicing soon and I would also have to look at new swords as well. Thinking about the swords that were in shards and in my box at the moment made me sigh and reach for the box before pulling my hand back.
"I guess the wild boar damaged his throat, huh? Why isn't he responsive?" Murata asked.
"He went through a lot so please let him be" Tanjiro said.
"But for this guy of all people to be so listless" Murata continued to comment.
"Tanjiro, Hikaru" Zenitsu called.
"Who is that?" He asked, which made me remember that Zenitsu hasn't met Murata yet.
"This is Murata, he is one of the ones that fought with us on Mt Natagumo" I explained.
"I'm Murata, nice to meet you," Murata introduced.
"Hey your arm" He started.
"I almost got turned into a spider so my arms and legs are still short," Zenitsu said.
"And that's why you need this medicine," Aoi said, appearing with Zenitsu's medicine.
"But it tastes so gross! There's only so much gross a person can take" Zenitsu cried.
"Don't come crying to me if your arms don't go back to normal" Aoi exclaimed.
"So cold! That's such a cold thing to say" Zenitsu said.
"You don't know how good you have it, I mean if you take this medicine and get lots of sunlight there'll be no lasting effects" Aoi said.
"No way, gross is gross, no two ways about it" Zenitsu said, jumping from his bed to Inosuke's to Tanjiro's so he could hide behind the other boy.
"Looks like fun, I'm jealous," Murata said, getting a weird aura around him.
"I was summoned to the hashira meeting to give my report on the Mt Natagumo incident but it was like hell! Those hashira are way too terrifying, they were all angry that corps fighters these days are dropping in quality since some who were sent to Mt Natagumo didn't follow orders so they wanted to interrogate who their trainers were. What good would it do to ask someone of my rank anyway? The hashira terrify me!" Murata complained, not seeing Shinobu walk up behind him.
"Hello," Shinobu greeted making Murata yell out and jump up.
"Hashira! Lady Kocho, hello! Goodbye!" Murata said before running out the door making me crack a smile.
"Oh my, goodbye" Shinobu said.
"How is your recovery coming along?" She asked, turning to us.
"We are getting a lot better I think" Tanjiro said which was true, the few days taking medicine was starting to do the world of good for me. Some of the small wounds had already closed up and left only scars and bruises in their wake.
"Then let's have you start your rehabilitation training shall we?" Shinobu asked.
"Rehabilitation training?" Tanjiro asked, I really hope that they hadn't realised the exercise I had been doing myself to keep myself in shape.
"Yes, oh Hikaru-san, I see you have been getting a visitor," Shinobu said, looking at the sunflowers that got replaced every two days.
"Yeah they are from.....An old friend" I said stroking the petals.
"Actually Kocho-san, I was wondering if you had a calendar I could look at. Sanemi kind of stabbed mine," I said.
"Of course" She smiled before gesturing to me to follow her. I gave Tanjiro a smile when he looked at me worriedly and followed her to what looked like a sitting room and there on the wall was a calendar.
"It is currently the twentieth day," Shinobu pointed and I nodded.
"Thank you" I said with a stiff bow, being careful of my wounds before heading to the rehabilitation training with Tanjiro and Inosuke.
'So it is in less than a month now' I thought.
Two weeks later
For two weeks we have been doing rehabilitation training and I had also been sneaking my own training not that anyone else was aware of since I mainly did it in the middle of the night. I also continued to receive flowers every second day as well as cookies that made me smile and think back to when things weren't so tough. I'd also written a note and had Kuro deliver it to Urokodaki but I hadn't heard anything back from him and when Kuro came back he was empty clawed so I could only guess what sensei was thinking. Today was going to be Zenitsu's first day of training and my last day of training. I could have finished weeks ago but I figured that doing it over and over again without going full out would give me something else to do instead of sleeping, drawing, moping, mixing medicine or studying mine and demon blood.
"Scared, scared, I'm scared" Zenitsu whimpered, clinging to my shirt since he thought it was something terrifying with the way Tanjiro and Inosuke had been acting. I understood it was soul crushing to be beaten by someone younger than them but they were acting, was like they had seen the devil himself.
"All right since you'll be joining us starting today Zenitsu, I'll explain it all again now. You'll start over there, those girls will get your bed ridden bodies limber again" Aoi explained before Inosuke got stretched making wounded noises with tears in his eyes.
"Next is reflex training, these cups contain medicinal tea, the objective is to throw the medicinal tea onto each other but if your opponent blocks your cup before you can pick it up you can't move that cup" She continued to explain. Tanjiro then tried the game with Kanao only to be splashed with the tea twice in a row.
"Last up full body training, simply put you will be playing tag. You'll be up against myself and Kanao over there" Aoi finished explaining.
"Excuse me, may I say something?" Zenitsu asked, all the life had left his eyes but I could tell from his aura, he was annoyed and angry.
"Is something unclear?" Aoi asked.
"No it's just, come on you three," Zenitsu said.
"Not going," Inosuke said.
"Just shut up and come with me like I said! Come on, dammit you lowlifes! You dirtbags!" Zenitsu yelled, grabbing us along the floor.
"What the hell are you doing?" Inosuke yelled while Tanjiro just yelled and I stayed silent making sure not to jolst my collar bone.
"Sit up straight, I said sit up straight! You miserable bastards!" Zenitsu yelled.
"What did you say?" Inosuke growled before being punched by Zenitsu and flung into a wall.
"Inosuke!" Tanjiro yelled in worry.
"What'd you do that for, Zenitsu? Tell Inosuke you're sorry" Tanjiro demanded while going to Inosuke and making sure he was okay.
"You guys say you're sorry! Apologise to me! How dare you act like you'd come back from hell when you were in heaven! All you did was frolic with girls all day, so why did you come back looking so wrecked? Get down on your hands and knees and apologise! Commit seppuku!" Zenitsu roared, getting worked up. He could say all he wanted about frolicing with girls because I wasn't into girls so it was hell.
"How can you say such a thing?" Tanjiro demanded.
"Shut up you goody-goody talking forehead! Just shut up and listen, got that? You're allowed to touch girls! You get to have your bodies massaged, when you play that cup game you get to touch their hands! When you play tag you get to touch their bodies! All girls have nice chests, great butts and strong thighs, they smell so nice when they pass by and it's a joy just to look at them! Heaven! Sheer heaven!" Zenitsu yelled while doing spins in the air.
"Shut up!" I roared out, making him go silent.
"I get that you are excited so why do we go inside and you can try the training yourself" I said with a sigh wanting to get this over and done with.
"I look forward to training with you" Zenitsu sang once we got back into the building. The three girls that were helping to get our bodies limber did everything they had to do and Zenitsu just continued to laugh and glow all throughout it.
"That guy has what it takes, I'm always fighting back tears from the pain but he's laughing" Inosuke commented.
"Trust me I think it's better that you are holding back tears" I said with a blank face matching Tanjiro.
"I shall take you on," Aoi said when Zenitsu got to the reflex training.
"I would never splash tea on a girl," Zenitsu flirted while holding Aoi's hand making Aoi look like she was ready to punch him and I wouldn't blame her if she did. Next was full body training which ended up with Zenitsu diving on Aoi only to end up punched and slapped.
"I'm gonna win too" Inosuke declared getting fired up and sure enough he did manage to beat Aoi. Unfortunately for Tanjiro he was the only one struggling with the reflex training since I decided not to hold back. Zenitsu and Inosuke both got pulled to a stop when they versed Kanao but I quickly blocked her hand on the cup and grabbed my own cup placing it on her head like I did for Aoi. This made everyone shocked as they looked at me but I didn't care as I got ready for the full body training. When it was time to start I quickly dashed away from Kanao using my surroundings to my advantage. I lasted the five minutes I needed to get away from her. Next was my turn to catch Kanao and it only took me three minutes to get her, making them once again shocked.
"Your amazing Hikaru" Tanjiro beamed.
"Not really I just have myself trained well, I have something to talk to Kocho-san so I will excuse myself first" I said before leaving the room.
Getting to Shinobu's office I knocked on the door and waited for her to open it and when she did I saw that Mitsuri was in the office as well.
"Is there something that I can do for you Hikaru?" Shinobu asked.
"Yes I was wondering if there was a flat clearing around here that I would be able to use for the next five days?" I enquired.
"A flat clearing? I am not sure there is one around the butterfly mansion not that isn't inside anyway" Shinobu said thinking about it.
"The headquarters has a place like that, maybe you should about it," Mitsuri piped up with a blush.
"Very well, could either one of you ask about me using this space, if not I shall find a place in the woods around here" I said.
"You don't want to go and ask for yourself?" Shinobu asked.
"I doubt that I would be allowed to go and see him with me only being a Mizunoto" I explained.
"I was going to go and see him today anyway so I shall ask him if you can borrow that space," Shinobu smiled.
"Thank you, I shall see myself out" I said before turning and leaving back to the room.
Once I got to the room I grabbed my box and opened it up before taking everything out of the box and placing them in different piles carefully. There was the drawings both ones I had to redo and ones that were complete, herbs both medical and seasoning, elixirs, pastes, vials of blood, charcoal, star shaped cookies, my two broken swords, my wisteria blossom necklace and finally Rui's kimono. Gently touching the kimono I couldn't help but think of the young boy before I shook my head to get those thoughts out of my head and finally reached the pile of clothes that were under Rui's kimono. Grabbing what I needed I repacked everything into the box neatly though I did leave the pictures I had to redraw from Sanemi stabbing them on the bedside table. Holding the pair of pants that I had pulled out at the sun I was glad to see that there was no holes in them.
"Hey Hikaru, oh is that time already?" Tanjiro asked as he came into the room.
"Yeah, four more days and it will begin, Kocho-san is going to ask Master if I can use a clearing in the headquarters if not I need to go to the forest today to collect some wood, herbs and flowers so I will look for a clearing then" I said.
"Did you need my help? I wouldn't mind and I'm sure Zenitsu and Inosuke will help as well" Tanjiro smiled.
"You know that I have to do this by myself Tanjiro but I wouldn't mind if you three wanted to come and watch. If you guys were there and knew that I couldn't be distrubed you could stop anyone else that tried to stop me" I explained to him.
"You mean the Hashira right?" Tanjiro questioned and I nodded my head. Since I might be doing this at the headquarters it was almost guaranteed that it would bring the attention of the Hashira and if not the Master would at least know.
"You can count on me, don't worry I won't allow anyone to disturb you on that day I promise" Tanjiro said with a determined look in his eyes meaning that I had nothing to worry about.
"Thank you, where are Inosuke and Zenitsu?" I asked.
"Having lunch which is why I actually came to get you since you should be eating with us as well even if you have finished the rehabilitation training now" Tanjiro answered.
"Okay let's go then" I smiled before walking to the door, I would continue what I needed to go after lunch.
"Hikaru" Tanjiro said before we got to the door and I let out a hum before turning to him. I wasn't expecting the kiss that Tanjiro pulled me into. Feeling a nip on my bottom lip I couldn't help but open my mouth for Tanjiro's tongue to explore.
"Be safe okay? You really scared me" Tanjiro said, blushing bright red as he pulled back.
"Oi Manjiro what was that?" I heard a call out and looked to see Zenitsu standing there looking dumbfounded while Inosuke looked confused and angry. Tanjiro somehow managed to get even redder and looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him and his aura was nothing but embarressment which left it to me to explain it.
"That was what people call a kiss Inosuke, it's a way that people show their affection to each other. Affection is basically when you like something very, very much. Like how you like fighting so much" I explained as best as I could.
"W-Why? What?" Zenitsu finally managed to cry out.
"You've seen us kiss before Zenitsu. Why is this such a surprise? After all, I am not interested in females romanticly so of course I would like to kiss someone as good looking as Tanjiro. If your jealous I can kiss you as well if you want?" I offered.
"Who's jealous?" Inosuke huffed, turning his head away. Chuckling I walked up to him and moved his mask enough to uncover his lips and I gently kissed him before pulling the mask back down. Watching it, I saw the fuzzy, fluffy aura that Inosuke had sometimes appeared again, making me feel the same sort of thing from seeing it. Next was Zenitsu who squeaked adorably when I brushed my lips against his before pulling back and headed to the hall that we normally ate in.
After lunch which started out as an awkward affair before turning into a loud and cheerful event with a few well placed comments, I got the pair of pants from before and headed out into the forest. The only thing other than the pair of pants I had was a small hatchet and carving knife that I would need later. Finding a river in the forest I took time to wash the pants I was carrying before laying them delicately on a rock to let the sun dry them off and started to look around for a suitable tree. Finding the right type of tree that was smaller than the other trees around I got to work on cutting it down. Once that was done I got rid of all the limbs leaving me with only the body of the log which I made quick work of barking. After the bark was all gone I started to chop it into the shapes that I needed and used the carving knives to do the details and clean up the rough parts. Finally sitting in front of me were two wooden swords with pieces off the edges which I would put bells on when I got back to the butterfly mansion. That was part of the process down now I had to move onto the next part, finding flowers and rocks to crush up with water to make some paint. It was harder to find flowers and rocks to make paint out of then I thought it would but after about two hours of looking I finally had enough and got to work on decorating the wooden swords. The first sword was coloured red with orange throughout it like the flames of a fire and the second sword was coloured golden yellow with white, red and orange throughout. They were both beautiful and now all I had to do was work on the hilts of the blades which was a little bit harder for me seeing as I had to get silk rope and colour it the colour of the sky before tying them around the hilts. With all of that done I gathered the now dry pants and wooden swords before heading back to the butterfly mansion seeing as the sun was beginning to set.
"Hey Hikaru, did you get everything done today?" Tanjiro asked as I walked into Nezuko's room after putting my things away in my box. Nezuko had been sleeping since we got to the butterfly mansion, fighting against Rui must have exhausted her especially if that fire was a type of ability she had gained.
"Most of it but I will have to go back out tomorrow but the good thing is that I managed to find a clearing I could use if Master won't allow me to use the clearing in headquarters. Oh and I have to add the bells to the swords," I told him before walking to Nezuko and kissing her forehead. I may not be attracted to females but Nezuko was a little sister to me so instead of kissing her on the lips I always kissed her on the forehead since she got jealous if Tanjiro got a kiss and she didn't.
"Are you sure that you want me there to watch? It normally isn't something that you let anyone watch" Tanjiro finally said after a few minutes of silence.
"Yes, I don't mind if you, Zenitsu, Inosuke and anyone else watch. I am a little upset that Nezuko won't be able to watch this time since you normally watch together" I told him. Back before everything happened Nezuko and Tanjiro used to always watch while I performed.
"We should head to bed, the next few days are going to be hectic" I said and Tanjiro nodded looking at Nezuko once more before we headed back towards the room we slept in.
"There you are, I was just looking for you Hikaru-san" Shinobu said with a fake smile and Tanjiro greeted her before continuing to the room since she was looking to talk to me.
"What can I help you with Kocho-san?" I asked politely even though her aura and emotions still set me on edge.
"I spoke to the Master and he has agreed to let you use the space you require though he has asked for you to meet with him tomorrow at noon so make sure you are on time and treat him with the utmost respect. Understand?" Shinobu asked with a deadly aura and smile.
"Of course, thank you for speaking to him on my behalf" I said with a bow of my head before I was dismissed and headed to my bed to get some sleep. Looking at the ceiling I could only hope that tomorrow went well. If not I would have to do it in the forest clearing.